Guest Editorial ...........................................................................Gi Grieco

The Harrier

Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group

Guest Editorial

It’s thirty years since I first joined SOG; back then I never have thought I’d become Chair for the group, but I’m privileged to do so for the next four years. My membership of the group almost covers my overall Suffolk birding life, which had started a few years before at Primary School. Although I’ve moved away a couple of times, when I’ve got back into Suffolk birding, a lot of that has been through SOG. Over the years I’ve met many Suffolk birders through the group, not least Jean and Ken Garrod, both of whom made me welcome on my first trip as a teenager, as they did to many over the years. Sadly, Ken passed away this year but it’s in great part due to Ken and Jean’s friendliness and encouragement that I’ve enjoyed Suffolk birding and SOG to this day. It was also thanks to Jean’s gentle arm-twisting that I led my first SOG trip in 1997 and then the following year joined SOG Council as the web administrator. I follow in this role Roy Marsh, who became Chair with membership slowly declining and funds decreasing due to increased costs such as The Harrier. He pushed for Council to be pro-active in addressing this and his drive galvanised the group to raise more funds, so that today the group has a better standing and I’m glad to say Roy has remained on Council as Vice-Chair. Although now on a better footing, funds will always be an issue. As is the case with many natural history organisations, membership numbers are constantly under pressure so it’s important that as a group SOG promotes the work it does, tries to increase membership and makes sure it continues to provide a voice for the great birdlife that can be found in Suffolk. SOG’s emphasis on Suffolk’s birdlife has always been to “enjoy, record and protect”. Enjoyment comes from the field trips, which are open to all members (thanks must be given to all the trip leaders for their help) and a variety of indoor meetings, including in recent years the popular joint events in north-east Suffolk with Waveney Bird Club. The recording aspect comes both through the Suffolk Bird Report, in collaboration with SNS, and the BTO surveys that the group helps organise and promote within Suffolk. Projects have been an important aspect of SOG, some with fantastic success such as the placing of a Peregrine nest box on the Orwell Bridge which led to the first nesting Peregrines in Suffolk in 200 years, and the increase in the Barn Owl population due to the Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project. More recently, the plight of the Turtle Dove has seen SOG, in conjunction with multiple groups, organisations and landowners (as with SCBOP) involved in Operation Turtle Dove. Our latest project is a partnership project with SWT for Swift conservation: Save Our Suffolk Swifts. Our wildlife is under ever increasing pressure and, as can be seen from the above, I feel that cooperation between